Welcome to Tanegashima (種子島), Japan, a small island located
off the coast of the main island of Kyushu, Japan.
Picture - Hamada
Beach, arguably the nicest beach on the island.
Tanegashima is one of the best kept secrets in Japan. The
island is a collection of beautiful beaches like Hamada
Beach (picture), fascinating caves, along with a very
diverse flora and fauna. The locals call the island
"surfer's paradise", thanks to fantastic waves much of the
year, and the soft sandy beaches. This is also the home of
the Tanegashima Space Center, the site of several JAXA (The
Japan Space Agency) rocket launches each year.
Relaxing
Serenity
Tanegashima is the best vacation spot in Japan if you're
looking for solitude and serenity.
Even during peak vacation seasons, like Golden Week, there
is always a beach with no human presence, where you can
write, paint, or simply reflect. The sunrises and the
sunsets, especially behind neighboring Yakushima (picture),
are spectacular. Combine all of this with kind and friendly
people, and you will realize this is a place you want to
visit again and again.
Tanegashima is relatively unknown when compared to its
neighbor Yakushima, a World Heritage Site. There is a
plethora of information online about Yakushima, but
relatively little about Tanegashima, especially in English.
If you are planning a trip to Yakushima, you owe it to
yourself to take the hour ferry ride, and visit Tanegashima.
After you hiked all the Yakushima trails you can handle,
come and relax on a beautiful Tanegashima beach. You will
definitely be happy you decided not to overlook this gem of
Japan.
Tanegashima
Fishing
Aside from surfing, fishing is one of the reasons why people
from all over Japan come to Tanegashima. During our years on
the island, we caught a very diverse range of fish. Continue
reading....
Tanegashima
Fish
These are all of the fish we actually caught since moving to
Tanegashima. We tried most of them and, aside for a few,
they were pretty good to eat. Continue
reading....
Tanegashima Videos -
see side column >>>>>>>>
Although I did not make any of the videos featured in the right hand column, I
thought they might be the best way to give you a quick overview of what
Tanegashima is all about. The videos range from this NHK documentary to more
informal locally produced videos including one from a friend of ours who
previously taught in the JET English language program.
For the videos in the right hand column, click the PLAY button and then click
the FOUR CORNERED SQUARE button to watch the full size screen version. Then
simply click the FOUR CORNERED SQUARE button on the video once again to return
to this page.
Night
Sky
Did you know many people living in the cities have never
seen the Milky Way? Come to Tanegashima, where on a
cloudless night, you can see more stars than you can
possibly imagine. The astronomy page has star maps to guide
you on your journey through the Tanegashima night sky.
Continue reading....
Crazy
Climate
Tanegashima has a humid subtropical climate and all the
characteristic weather. Days filled with beautiful sunshine
can easily be followed by torrential rains, damaging winds,
and typhoons. Tanegashima is a fantastic place but
definitely put a lot of thought into the timing of your
visit.
Continue reading....
Gentle
Terrain
Tanegashima does not compare to neighboring Yakushima in
terms of varied topography, well depending on your point of
view. Tanegashima technically has no mountains, although the
topography does rise to an elevation of about 282 meters
(925 ft) in Nishinoomote to the north.
Continue reading....
Natural
History
The geology of Tanegashima is
both interesting and beautiful. The sedimentary deposits
which cover much of the island consist of mostly sandstone
and shale. The strata was formed over millions of years as
numerous layers were deposited on top of each other.
Continue reading....
Tanegashima
Fishing
